Toy truck and station



Jan. 14, 1969 OSTRANDER, JR 3,421,257

TOY TRUCK AND STATION Sheet Filed Feb. 25, 1966 INVENTOR. ROBERT K. OSTRANDER, JR.

HIS ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 14, 1969 Filed Feb R. K. OSTRANDER, JR

TOY TRUCK AND STATION HIM 1|.....v

INVENTOR.

ROBERT K. OSTRANDER, JR.

HI-S ATTO'RNEYS.

Jan. 1969 R. K. OSTRANDER, JR 3,42

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INVENTOR. ROBERT K. OSTRANDER, JR.

Milka HIS ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 14, 1969 R. K. OSTRANDER, JR 3,421,257

TOY TRUCK AND STATION Filed Feb. 25, 1966 Sheet 4 of e Q1) 1 4] 54 5 NH, I 52 m,

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HIS ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 14, 1969 R. K. OSTRANDER, JR 3,421,257

TOY TRUCK AND STATION Filed Feb. 25, 1966 sheet 5 of e FIG.8 F1619 FIG. 10

INVENTOR.

ROBERT K. OSTRANDER, JR. BY

HIS ATTORNEYS.

J n- 1969 R. K. OSTRANDER, JR 3, 2

TOY mucx AND s'nmou Filed Feb. 25, 1966 Sheet 6 of a FIG. I!

INVENTOR. ROBERT K. OSTRANDER, JR. BY

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HIS ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,421,257 TOY TRUCK AND STATION Robert K. Ostrander, Jr., East Aurora, N.Y., assignor to Fisher-Price Toys, Inc., East Aurora, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 530,107

US. Cl. 46-202 7 Claims Int. Cl. A63h 11/10 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy dump truck station is formed with two levels and pivotally mounted hoppers arranged at the upper level for receiving a load dumped from a truck and extending downward to the lower level for transferring a load to a truck backed under a hopper. There is a plurality of trucks having distinctively configured bodies which correspond to similarly configured access openings to the hoppers.

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly, to a toy dump truck and a station including a hopper.

Objects of the invention include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) An entertaining, educational toy affording varied opportunities for creative play;

(b) A toy that is simple and economical to manufacture, yet rugged and able to survive rough play; and

(c) A successful toy that is both interesting and safe for children.

Generally, the objects of the invention are accomplished in a simple toy dump truck having a body that can be raised to a dump position as the truck is backed against an abutment, and a truck station including a hopper for receiving a load dumped from the toy truck and pivotally mounted for transferring such load back into the truck. In a preferred embodiment, the station includes two levels connected by a ramp, a plurality of trucks with distinctively configured bodies, and a corresponding plurality of hoppers pivotally mounted at an upper level of the station. Access openings to the hoppers at a lower level of the station are configured for admitting only one of the plurality of trucks for actuating the hopper to receive a load.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification, which describes the invention, its use, operation, and preferred embodiment, from the drawings, which constitute a part of the disclosure, and from the subject matter claimed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred em bodiment of toy trucks and station according to the invention and illustrates a few of the various possible play activities;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the trucks and station of FIG. 1 with the respective trucks engaged in different activity;

FIG. 3 is a section of the station of FIG. 2 taken in the plane of the line 3-3 and omitting the trucks;

FIG. 4 is a section of FIG. 2 taken along the line 44 and showing actuation of the preferred station hopper by a truck according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a section of FIG. 2 along the line 55 and omitting background material to illustrate the dump position of a truck preferred according to the invention;

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation of the inventive station;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the inventive station;

FIGS. 8-l0 show rear elevations of toy dump trucks preferred according to the invention; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 show respective left and right side elevations of the inventive station.

3,421,257 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 The inventive truck and station will be better understood from the following detailed description of the illustrated preferred embodiment. Corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings.

Toy, generally A preferred embodiment of the inventive station 20 and trucks 30, 31, and 32, is illustrated in FIG. 1 as engaged in' various possible play activities. Preferably, a plurality of dump trucks are associated with the station 20, and a corresponding plurality of hoppers 40, 41 and 42 are arranged on the station.

The toy is preferably sturdily made to withstand rough play, and both station and trucks are preferably brightly colored and decorated to be attractive.

Some of the activities performable with the inventive trucks and station, as illustrated in FIG. 1, include dumping a load 33 into a hopper (by truck 32), receiving a load from a hopper (by truck 30) and fueling fro-m pump 24 through hose 25 (by truck 31). Other possible activities with the inventive toy include driving up and down ramp 23 with and without a load 33, maneuvering, parking, load-carrying, exploring, parking for repairs and service under the rear of station 20, and other activities as unabounded as the imaginations of children at play.

Loads for the trucks and hoppers are preferably spherical balls 33. Such balls roll readily out of truck bodies or hoppers, and facilitate dumping and transfer.

The preferred station, as illustrated, has a lower level 21 serving as a base, and an upper level 22 connected with the lower level by ramp 23. Hoppers 4042 are pivotally mounted at the upper level 22.

Station, generally The preferred external configuration of station 20 is best shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 7, 11, and 12, and FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 show some of its construction details.

The superstructure for upper level 22 of station 20 is preferably molded of plastic material and formed with a smoothly rounded rail or ridge 26 guarding its edges to provide a strong and attractive rim and to prevent trucks from accidentally falling from the upper level. The three hopper-s 4042 are preferably pivotally mounted in open bays formed between ridges 27 which also strengthen upper level 22. The side walls of ridges 27 are preferably formed with apertures 44 into which pivot pins 43, integral with the side walls of hoppers 40 42, can be snapfitted, as best shown in FIG. 3. The hoppers are preferably molded of plastic material that is sufficiently resilient to allow the side walls to be squeezed inward for placing pivot pins 43 in apertures 44.

As best shown in FIGS. 3-5, upper level 22 is further strengthened and supported by wooden support wall 45 extending transversely of station 20 between base 21 and upper level 22 near the ends of hoppers 40-42. Also, wooden side walls 46 and 47 extending between base 21 and upper level 22, are disposed under ridge 27 and rail 26 respectively for further supporting upper level 22.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 12, a simulated fuel pump 24 with a filling hose 25 is arranged on base 21 in an open area under ramp 23. Hose 25 has a nozzle 28 insertable into holes 34 in the trucks (best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) and stored in a similar hole in pump 24. Projections 29, extending downward from the upper level 22, engages the top of pump 24 for further supporting upper level 22 above base 21.

The superstructure 22 is securely fastened to base 21, and in the preferred embodiment, nails 48 are driven into sockets 49 molded at intervals along the bottom edge of the superstructure as shown, for example, in FIG. 5. Also, wooden members 45-47 are preferably nailed to- 3 gether at their junctions to further strengthen and support station 20.

As best shown in FIG. 6, an open space 50 is preferably formed under upper level 22 at the rear of station 20 to serve as a simulated garage for repair and service of the trucks. Garage 50 preferably extends forward to wall 45. The side of station 20 opposite fuel pump 24 is shown in FIG. 11.

Hoppers The action of hoppers 40-42 are mounted for free pivotal motion about pivot pins 43, and they function in the same way. As shown in FIG. 5, hopper 41 is preferably configured relative to its pivot point 43 so that, whether empty or loaded, it tends to pivot clockwise. A stop 54 is preferably arranged under the end of each hopper at the upper level of the station to limit such pivotal motion to the position illustrated in FIG. 5. Thus, unless forced to another position, hoppers remain in the position of hopper 41 in FIG. whether empty or loaded.

FIG. 4 shows the pivoting of hopper 40 counterclockwise to a raised position for transfer of load 33 from hopper 40 into truck 30. Hoppers 41 and 42 function in a similar way with respect to trucks 31 and 32. A front wall 51 of hopper 40, corresponding to front wall 52 of hopper 41, normally extends downward below pivot point 43 at the front of the hopper. The rear edge of the body of truck 30 backs against wall 51 of hopper 40 to pivot hopper 40 to the raised position illustrated in FIG. 4. Such pivoting of hopper 40 transfers load 33 from hopper 40 into the body of truck 30. As truck 30 moves from the position illustrated in FIG. 4, hopper 40 pivots clockwise to return to the position of hopper 41 in FIG. 5.

Trucks Each of the trucks 30-32 is preferably the same, except for respective bodies 60-62 which differ distinguishably in transverse profile as best shown in FIGS. 8-10. These differing profiles correspond respectively with openings 70-72 in front wall 55 of station so that each truck can fit only through its respective opening. This adds to the interest and educational value of the toy in requiring configuration matching for each truck to be backed into its respective opening for actuating a hopper to receive a load. Preferably, corresponding hoppers and truck bodies are made the same color to assist a child in matching trucks and hopper entrances.

Each of the trucks -32 is also preferably provided with a removable, simulated driver 30-82 loosely housed in a cylindrical recess in each respective truck. Driver bodies and recesses are all preferably similar for free interchange between trucks, but they can be shaped so that each driver will fit only in one of the trucks.

The chassis of trucks 30-32 are preferably the same, and are best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Bodies 60-62 are each pivotally mounted on their respective chassis at pivot points 63 and each functions in the same manner. Springs 64 are arranged to engage each truck chassis, and a portion of each respective truck body for biasing bodies 60-62 to a normally assumed load-receiving and load-carrying position as illustrated in FIG. 4. Raising a body to a dump position tensions spring 64 for urging the body back down to the normal position.

A preferably rounded projection 65 extends downward near the rear of each of the bodies 60-62 to a point below the pivot axis 63 for each body. Abutment Walls 66 extend upward from the truck-supporting surface of upper level 22 adjacent each of the hoppers -42 to engage projections 65 as trucks are backed toward hoppers. Projections 65 and abutments 66 thus cooperate to dump the trucks. As shown in FIG. 5, the arresting of projection 65 against abutment 66 as truck 31 is backed toward hopper 41 pivots truck body 61 counterclockwise to a raised position for dumping load 33 into hopper 41. Movement of truck 31 forward away from abutment 66 allows spring 64 to return body 61 to its normal position. The curvature of projections 65 facilitates their turning against abutments 66 as bodies are pivoted up to a dump position.

Operation In play, each of the trucks can be backed into its respective opening 70-72 to push back the respective front wall of a hopper and pivot the hopper up to receive load 33 from the hopper. The loaded truck can be driven up ramp 23 to upper level 22 and backed against abutment 66 so that projection 65 raises the body to a dump position for dumping load 33 back into a hopper. Trucks can also be parked in open garage 50 for make-believe repair and service, and can be fuelled up at pump 24. Drivers 82 are preferably interchangeable among the trucks and rotatable in their housed position. In addition, the inventive toy can serve any other purposes imaginable by a child, and it is preferably built in the simple and sturdy construction illustrated to withstand rough play.

The preferred embodiment of the inventive toy helps teach a child configuration and color matching, and offers infinite possibilities for play and learning experiences in slopes, angles, motions, actuations, orders, arrangements, etc.

Other features, advantages, and other specific embodiments of this invention will be apparent to those exercising ordinary skill in the pertinent art after considering the foregoing disclosure. In this regard, while a preferred specific embodiment of my invention has been described in considerable detail, such disclosure is intended as illustrative, rather than limiting, and other embodiments, variations, and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed.

I claim:

1. A toy dump truck and station comprising:

(a) a plurality of dump trucks having bodies arranged to carry and dump loads;

(b) said bodies in planes transverse to said bodies being distinguishably configured relative to each other;

(c) said station including upper and lower levels having surfaces for supporting said trucks;

(d) a plurality of hoppers'pivotally mounted on said station in the region of said upper level for receiving loads dumped from said trucks;

(e) each of said hoppers including wall means having a downwardly extending surface disposed for engagement with the rear of one of said truck bodies when said truck is on said lower level and backed toward said hopper so that movement of said truck body against said downwardly extending surface pivots said hopper to transfer said load from said hopper to said truck body;

(f) station wall means disposed in front of said down- Wardly extending hopper surfaces; and

(g) said station wall means being configured to define a plurality of distinguishably configured openings through which only one of said body configurations can be fitted for actuating said hopper to transfer said load.

2. The toy of claim 1 including a plurality of balls each of which is large enough to fill and provide the sole load for said bodies and said hoppers.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein the upper rear edge of said bodies is arranged for engaging said downwardly extending surfaces of said hoppers.

4. The toy of claim 1 wherein each of said trucks includes a generally vertically oriented recess in the region of its forward end, and a body simulating a driver is disposed loosely in said recess.

5. The toy of claim 1 including a ramp connecting said upper and lower levels.

6. The toy of claim 1 wherein the upper rear edge of said bodies is arranged for engaging said downwardly extending surfaces of said hoppers and including a ramp 5 connecting said upper and lower levels.

7. The toy of claim 6 including a plurality of balls each of which is large enough to fill and provide the sole load for said bodies and said hoppers, and each of said trucks includes a generally vertically oriented recess in the region of its forward end, and a body simulating a driver is disposed loosely in said recess.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1,972,376 9/1934 Decker 46-214 X 2,463,397 3/1949 Krebs 46-40 2,876,584 3/1959 Smith 4640 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 46-214; 3522 

